It is well known to purify raw air in an air cleaner before routing the purified air and combustion fuel through an intake manifold and supplying the air and fuel to an internal combustion engine. Such known air cleaners typically include a filter disposed in a housing. An air exhaust of the air cleaner typically leads to the separate intake manifold. In operation, such known air cleaners provide for the intake of raw air, the purification of the raw air and the routing of the purified air to the air exhaust; such known intake manifolds provide for the routing of the purified air and the combustion fuel to the cylinder head of the engine.
A problem with such known air cleaners and intake manifolds is that such components are separate and distinct. Such separateness and distinctness can result in mechanical incompatibility between such components, the need for additional hoses and tubes to connect such components, decreased accessibility to such components for servicing and a reduction in the physical underhood space available for accessory components.
What is needed, therefore, is a unitary manifold system. It would also be advantageous to have a manifold system capable of rapid installation in an engine. It would further be advantageous to have a manifold system that is readily accessible for rapid service, repair or replacement. It would further be advantageous to provide a manifold system with multiple detachment points for easy servicing.